We are proud to present the winners of The Larchmont 2030 Design Competition!

A simple design that puts homes close to daily needs, reduce long commutes, and keeps neighborhoods active throughout the day. #urbanlife #housingoverretail #15minutecity #losangelesurbanism #walkablecities

#UrbanFact for today: ROR (residential over retail) blocks are intentionally mixed-use so people can grab coffee, meds, or dinner without leaving the neighborhood. It's a design pattern that dates back to historic main streets. #urbancity #urbanlife #walkablecommunities

A neighborhood you can live in, not just drive through - where everyday essentials are right under your home.🥖💐📚 #walkablelosangeles #urbancity #liveableLA #walkablecommunities #urbanplanning

Residents upstairs, local shops downstairs, and a street that stays active from morning to evening. It's a higher quality of life and lower cost of living. #urbanlife #walkableneighborhoods #walkablelosangeles #liveableLA #15minutecity

#UrbanFact - 'ROR' stands for 'Residential Over Retail.' This housing typology literally creates a walkable street because the small shops right next to each other make the street more inviting -- drawing in shoppers. ROR creates walkability, convenience and easy access to essential errands.

Announcement! The Larchmont 2030 Design Competition has been extended to Thursday, May 7th. Submit ideas for what type of architecture you want to see in Larchmont – a building or a streetwall. It can be a real building or a drawing of any kind (watercolor, etc).

Fine grain retail means many small businesses are concentrated along a street, so more destinations are within walking distance. This creates a diverse urban fabric and provides the opportunity for residents or visitors to shop, linger, and stroll. #UrbanFact #LivableCommunities #FineGrainRetail

Reminder! The Larchmont 2030 Design Competition closes in one week.

We want livable communities, but what actually factors into designing a high-quality walkable neighborhood within a city? There are three main ingredients to #HowToBuildCities - Housing, Retail, and the Street

We love nature and our planet 🌎️ ❤️ If you could change one thing about your city to make it more sustainable, what would it be? #earthday #ecofriendly #greenspace #livablecommunities #livablela

Mixed-use buildings bring liveliness and charm to streets all over the world! #residentialoverretail #livablecommunities #mixedusebuildings

Your local grocer is just one of many everyday places a that 15-minute city brings within easy reach! #livablecommunities #15minutecity #urbanism #walkablecommunity

Calling all neighbors, friends, architects, designers, professionals, amateurs and dreamers... Larchmont 2030 is launching a design competition!

Residential-over-Retail means neighborhoods have essential amenities -- shops serving daily, weekly, and monthly needs. These elements create a 15 minute neighborhood that gives people the option of living car-light or car-free. #livablecommunities #residentialoverretail #urbanism

We can go up! 🌳 #urban #walkablecity #design #15minutecity #walkablelosangeles

Every block deserves a courtyard moment! 🪴⛲️ #urbancity #opencourtyards #walkablecommunities #losangelscourtyard

Nothing beats getting around without a car 🚲️ 🚆 🚍️ #mobility #publictransit #livablecommunities

Public spaces bring us together! #livablecommunities #walkableneighborhood

Public space = public health. This is what an active community looks like! #communityexercise #activela #urbanism #citylove #walkablecommunity

Square spaces gives us shade, a place to sit and breathe, but most importantly, a moment of freedom through all the rush. #squarespaces #urbancity #greencity #walkablecitiesarehealthycities #urbanarchitecture

Promenades makes cities feel alive! Widened sidewalks gives us more space to walk and actually enjoy the city. #promenades #walkablecities #widenedsidewalks #urban

A true 15-minute city keeps parks close— giving us nature, safety, exercise, and community.🌳 #15minutecity #parks #greencommunity #walkablecities #cityparks

In a truly livable community, residents can stroll to their favorite bookstore just minutes from home. And bookstores are only one example of the everyday destinations that 15-minute neighborhoods make easily accessible, with no car required. #livablecommunities

Advantages: A) simple cookie cutter buildings B) the time investment of a great architect pays off C) 3-5 stories is easier / faster to build D) human scale blocks of one height are buyers' / renters' most sought after typology due to the charm and sense of calm from the low scale and repetition

Shouldn't this building style be legal in every American city?

We are proud to announce the winners of the 2025 National Single Stair Architectural Design Competition! singlestair.com

Aesthetically, our revealed preference is for human scale + consistent heights. Price/sqft: Famous glass 'Jenga tower': ~$3k / sqft Simple townhouse or converted warehouse: $3700-$5k / sqft 'Background buildings' that repeat using Standard Plans are also much cheaper to build.

The Livable Communities Initiative (LCI) is a plan to build mixed-income and affordable housing that is attainable for all Angelenos – nurses, cooks, teachers, seniors, students, the undocumented, refugees.

Are aesthetics important in housing? Arguably, yes. (1) Aesthetics can drive political support. A new study shows how aesthetics affect community support for housing -- people are more willing to embrace density when it's beautiful.

What makes a street calming? Order & variation – especially one height. Paris or Brooklyn Brownstones – it's one vernacular with variety. Mediterranean cities have variations on a theme. Walking along a coherent, human-scale block, especially under 5 stories, cortisol goes down & curiosity goes up.

A ‘Town Center’ of local shops can become the social & economic hub of a community. When it’s high quality, it invites people in – creating what Jane Jacobs described as a ‘sticky street’ – a place to shop, linger and stroll.

Let's transform our spaces into green havens, not parking lots. It's time to invest in nature, community, and sustainability. 🌿💚 #GreenSpaces #UrbanGreening #SustainableLiving #EcoFriendly #LoveWhereYouLive #NatureInTheCity #CleanEnvironment #ParkNotParking

Envisioning a more walkable Los Angeles with vibrant commercial streets, where traffic concerns take a backseat to community connection and convenience. Let’s reshape our city for a future that’s easier to navigate—on foot and beyond. #WalkableLA #TrafficSolutions #UrbanTransformation #Sustainable

Imagine an LA where every street feels like home—tree-lined, walkable, and designed for people, not just cars. 🌿🚶‍♂️🚲 #WalkableLA #PeopleFirst #SustainableCities #UrbanOasis #CarFreeFuture #BikeFriendly #GreenStreets #LivableCommunities #PedestrianParadise #SmartGrowth #LA2050

The LCI Plan is a bold, comprehensive solution for LA’s future—combining housing, mobility, and sustainability to create thriving, people-first communities. Let’s build it together! 🚲🌿🏡 #LivableLA #PeopleOverCars #SustainableCities #WalkableLA #BikeFriendly #HousingForAll #SmartGrowth #15MinuteCity

A truly walkable city isn’t just about sidewalks—it’s about vibrant neighborhoods with local shops, tree-lined streets, and fewer cars. Let’s build an LA that puts people first! 💚 #SustainableLA #LivableStreets #15MinuteCity #GreenUrbanism #TreeCanopy #CarLightLiving #BetterLA #BikeFriendly